Paducah, Kentucky

I have never in my life heard someone say, “Let’s go visit Paducah, Kentucky.” I haven’t even heard, “I’ve been to Paducah.” So sad, really. This city of 25,000 in southwestern Kentucky, located at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers, has got it goin’ on, and I’m here to tell you about it.

Why did we visit Paducah? I have no idea. We were on our way back from Chattanooga to Chicago, and it looked like a good place to spend a few days. Due to reading something random previously on the internet, I knew that the city was designated a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art.

And I knew it had breweries. Good enough for us!

What’s really cool about Paducah is that – like Chattanooga – the city seems to care about itself. The entire, historic downtown has been renovated and revitalized. In fact, 20 blocks of this area are a designated historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. The architecture is fantastic, and the city center feels welcoming.

Paducah has invested heavily in the arts, and actually wants artists to come to live and work. While the city – like any other city – has its share of issues, the investment and pride in itself is paying off in a big way. It’s home to a bunch of murals as well, and the National Quilt Museum, which my mom would most certainly love.

So, let’s see some flicks about what we did while in Paducah!

Our first eve there, we stopped by the Italian Grill on Broadway, which came highly recommended from the good folks at our hotel. This joint serves from-scratch pasta and other delicious treats, and it hit the spot quite nicely!

Nommmmmm.

So yeah, that was a proper food coma.

As you may know from other posts, we like to get out and take in some local culture. And by that, we mean car racing! In this case, anyway. We found out there was a dirt track nearby, so we headed out to the races. Unfortunately, it wasn’t too exciting or crowded on this particular day, and the place didn’t serve beer (blasphemy!).

We still enjoyed some rounds of races and watched the kids do their things in mini sprint cars as well.

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next day, we headed downtown to have a stroll and check out more of what it has to offer.

There’s art and architecture for days around here. I especially dug the tile work on this building.

Don’t know why, just thought it was funky!

Pretty!

Heading down by the river, we came across one of Paducah’s most famous and memorable art projects: the Wall to Wall mural program. The entire flood wall that separates the city from the river is painted with over 50 murals by artist Robert Dafford and his team. It’s a sight to behold, and something that every city should aspire to.

It feels like it goes on for days! And that’s a good thing, of course.

Peeking around the flood wall, we also stood for a while and watched the barges go by.

Ducking out from the heat, we dropped by local spot Shandies, which serves up great food and drink.

Back outside, we passed by the aforementioned National Quilt Museum, and had to get a picture for Mom. :)

Guess what? Brewery time!

Paducah has some real gems for breweries, and we had to be sure to check them out ourselves. You know, for research.

Dry Ground Brewing Co. is located in the old Coca-Cola bottling facility, a very historic building and one that was actually filled with tons of Coca-Cola history when the owners bought the building. It had so much of it, in fact, that the Coca-Cola corporate historian came for a visit. The whole place is really, really fascinating.

And as neat as that all is, we were here for the beer!

Dry Ground is serious business. And we made sure to respect that serious business. Repeatedly!

As you can see by the above taps, they also have other brews available if you want to try something else. We were here for their beer only, though, and we had a mighty fine time being taste testers for all of you. And we also had to get some to go, naturally.

So delicious, so memorable.

Another brewery we visited is also housed in a very historic location. It’s a location I’ve not yet seen used for a brewery – or any other business, for that matter – and I am totally in love with what they did here.

One thing I want to point out are these signs we saw in local coffee shop, Etcetera. The espresso was not up to standard for us – an unfortunate experience we have with too many local coffee shops and always hope is a one-off – but we really have a lot of respect for this. And everyone should see it. So…

If only all other business owners out there would have such respect.

And that’s nearly it! Also, a shot of the gifts given to Louis at our hotel. Watching him try to figure this out was just too hilarious.

That is sad that you did not go into the Quilt museum. It is not your grandma’s quilting…..it has beautiful works of art! I was surprised myself, but I highly recommend anyone with an interest in art or fabric or quilting go INTO the museum. I’m originally from Nashville, but I have lived in Paducah for 9 years now. It is great that you chose to stop in to our River City and write about it, though.

Anytime, Mike! We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and look forward to coming back. I’m very impressed, thrilled, and proud myself that a community has so much civic pride. It’s really a model for towns everywhere. Thanks for stopping by!

Paducah is my hometown. Love it. Etcetera Coffee Shop is the best. Great health community with two great hospitals and doctors. Baptist had a NICU. There is an airport, which has been in service for over 60 years from where you can go almost anywhere. Schools are second to none. Quilt show in April brings an influx of at least 20,000 quilters from all over the world. We have the National Quilt Museum. We have the acclaimed Market House Theater, with fantastic local talent. There is also the Carson Four River Center with major Broadway shows and concerts. There are four rivers and two lakes within in a 35 mile radius – Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, and Mississippi Rivers and Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. There is also the Land Between the Lakes and the Ballard County Refuge area for hunters. You can always see bald eagles at these places too. There are fantastic churches with four downtown churches – Broadway United Methodist, St. Francis Catholic Church, Grace Episcopal, and First Presbyterian. There is also Noble Park. The Riverfront is second to none with the murals and watching the river traffic at the foot of Broadway where the Tennessee runs into the Ohio. Coke Plant is great – I grew up three blocks from the Coke Plant. There is a community college, an engineering school from the University of Kentucky, a campus of Murray State University, and an accredited art school. Lowertown is fantastic and the Fountain Avenue area is super. In September there is the annual Barbeque Festival. We are known for our great BBQ – try Starnes and Harneds. Great local restaurants are all around. Market House Square is fantastic. If you like fabric you need to see Hancock’s of Paducah. There is a yarn shops on Kentucky Avenue. There are the railroad shops on Kentucky. It is and was a great place to grow up and raise kids. There is trolley and bus service. During the summer on Saturday nights there is music and food downtown with part of the street blocked. As you can tell, I am very partial to my hometown. Lived there 50 years before moving across state to be nearer kids and grands. As a side note the Paducah Junior College Indians won the National Junior College Basketball Tournament in 1969 under Coach Sonny Haws. Vice President Alben Barkley was from Paducah. You can see a monument at 28th and Jefferson. He is buried in Mt. Kenton Cemetery. Lillie Tomlin spent her summers in the Paducah area at her grandparents near Cunningham. Stephen Curtis Chapman is from Paducah. Boots Randolph claimed Paducah and Cadiz. If you have never been to Paducah or heard about us it is because you have not talked to the right people!!!

So glad you stopped for a visit. We love it here! The Quilt Musuem is truly worthy of a tour. The BBQ on the River Festival, September 28-30, is amazing! 50,000 or so others think so and support our largest local fundraiser for the community with BBQ, music, beer & wine gardens and farmers’ markets and vendors for blocks. Please join us again! Whether for a festival or a leisurely get away. You are always welcome.

Next trip , include a visit to the Art Guild of Paducah on Market street. Each time I go, there are always new pieces of fine art from the many artists from this region. Check them out on Facebook, too.

I grew up in Paducah but haven’t been back since Mama died just over 4 years ago. It’s amazing how much has changed in such a short time. When I left, the Coke plant and the bus station were empty buildings. Glad to see the new businesses there.

Please come back and go to the Quilt Museum. It is more of an art gallery than a building that shows your grandmother’s quilts. The end of this month (April), there will be an internationally recognized Quilt Show in Paducah and over 30,000 visitors will be in town. That event will be held at the Expos Center by the river.
Plus the streets will be ablaze with the blooming dogwoods, red buds, and azaleas. There is a lighted Dogwood Trail that you can follow, and the residential districts become a fairyland of spring colors against the dark blue April sky.
Please come back! We’ve got ever more to share with our visitors.

If you are an artist then you would love the quilt show. It is an art on quilts. You need to look at the website. There are artists from around the world that sumit their quilts and travel here just for this event. Some dye their own fabric. These are NOT your grandmother’s quilts. It is truly an art expedition. But don’t plan on staying in town unless you plan a year in advance because there are no hotel rooms for a good ways out. We even have locals that open their homes every year to quilters to help accommodate the over flow of visitors. It is an incredible experience.

Hey, Adrienne! I definitely wouldn’t go for the show itself as it’d be too crazy. But I think you’re right about the museum not just being for fans of quilting. Y’all have turned my opinion around, and we’ll go next time we’re in town. Thanks for reading!

Grandparents, aunts and uncles lived there. We visited ever year. I love this town want to retire there. Have seen it go from a run down depressed town to the beautiful showpiece it is now. Other towns should learn from them.

Paducah is my hometown. I don’t quilt either & I’ve never been to the quilt show, but I have been in the museum. The quilts are absolutely beautiful works of art! My favorite festival is Barbecue on the River. There is nothing like Western Kentucky barbecue!

Well, now my mouth is watering for some BBQ! I agree with you and others here…the art can be fascinating even if you’re not into quilts. We’ll have to check it out next time we’re there. Thanks for reading, Libby!

As a local musician, I can talk about the scene downtown. JP’s (on Market House Square, across from the Carson Center) has a great eclectic cuisine, and local bands play there on the weekends.
Fat Moe’s (Broadway and 9th) has a great bar menu, and they have both indoor and outdoor spaces for area talent.
There’s a craft distillery that’s having their official grand opening this weekend, Silent Brigade on Broadway between 5th and 4th. They’ve got a stage for live talent as well — I’ve played there with two different bands.
Across from the old Coke factory, there’s the Twinkling Star. That’s been around perhaps the longest, and it’s under new management.
The bands and artists run the gamut, from blues (Lew Jetton & 61 South) to rockabilly (Adam and the H-Bombs) to blues/rock/R&B/whatever people want to hear (A Different Sound) and classic rock (Wayback, Soul Dog).
There’s some other places to go further out of town, like The Riff.
You should hit the Barbecue On the River at the end of September… if it’s smoked, grilled or fried, you can get it there. Local charities sell their food, raising funds.
There’s also a burgeoning standup comedy scene! The Beer Werks hosts a lot of live shows. See if you can catch DJ Wood, Jorge Machaen, Jesse Barfield, or Paducah Improv when they play around town.

Great tips, Reggie! I found Silent Brigade when we were there but I don’t think they were open on whatever day it was. Thanks for all the music and live entertainment tips! We did see a musician play at Paducah Beer Werks, but the crowd was unfortunately very light.

What a great article about our little town. The city population is small but with the county our population is about 90k. You must come back September 28-30, 2017 for BBQ on the River. It is a huge event with great food, arts and crafts, and live music. And, it is all to raise money for local charities. You can find it on Facebook. Thanks again oh and I shared your story on Facebook.

Hey, Lyn! I know the metro area is quite a bit larger, but I like to put cities into perspective. A lot of people have suggested the BBQ festival, which we would *love* to visit. Unfortunately, we’re rarely around at the end of September. Maybe someday, though! Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks for sharing our post on Facebook.

I loved your review of Paducah !! Thank you for taking the time to visit our town and tell others about its wonderful attributes !!
While in the Coke plant, you should’ve visited he other end of the building and spent some time in Pipers Tea and Coffee. I’m confident that their espresso would’ve lived up to your expectations !!
: ) Owned and operated by a British born Paducah transplant, their tea selections are also amazing !! And the employees are always friendly and readily available to help you make a drink selection that will leave you feeling happy that you came.
You definitely need another trip to Paducah !! : )

Glad you liked it! Pipers reached out to us on Instagram after this post went up. The only reason we didn’t stop by is because it was our last day there and we were headed to the brewery. We didn’t even know about it before then. We’ll definitely be sure to get our coffee there next time we’re in town…and you’re right, we do need to come back! Thanks for stopping by!